5 Answers
5

If the condition has developed over time, you can try tightening all of the screws on the hinges. If any of the screws keep turning then you can replace them with longer screws so that they grip the stud behind the frame and pull the door up.

If you recently installed carpet or a new floor then you will need to plane the bottom of the door with either a hand planer or by sanding. There is also a planer attachment for the dremels which works pretty well for light jobs, and in some cases you can even do it without removing the door.

I didn't find any screws on the hinges. I don't know how exactly the hinges are connected to the lintel, but it seems like they are just one piece. I did not install a new carpet or a new floor. I wanted to avoid sanding the bottom of the door, but it seems I have no choice. Thank you!
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JoeJan 31 '12 at 15:12

How exactly are the hinges attached to the frame if there are no screws?
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StevenJan 31 '12 at 15:20

1

Although it doesn't apply here, a trick my mom taught me to get loose hinge screws to hold tight is to shove a sliver of a split toothpick into the hole to narrow the hole and give the screw something to hold on to. I've also used slivers from scrap shims. Works awesomely.
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oscilatingcretinFeb 3 '12 at 12:25

Or a dowel works too, however if you need to "lift" the door up, you really need the strength from the studs behind it, not the toothpicks :)
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StevenFeb 3 '12 at 13:18

1

if worst comes to worst move the hinge up or down a few inches to fresh wood to hold itself into
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ratchet freakFeb 3 '12 at 15:28

I salesperson at a hardware store in my neighborhood suggested an easy way to solve the problem, that doesn't require sanding the door. I tried it, and it works perfectly!

I took a small piece of plastic-coated electrical wire, and used pliers to shape the piece into a helix. I shoved such a piece up the barrel of each one of the door's hinges. After putting the door back, the pieces of wire inside the hinges made it a bit higher and it stopped catching on the floor.

I also made sure there is spare space between the top of the door and the frame when it was closed, so it can still be closed even when it's a bit higher.

This is a bit of "hack" that doesn't solve the root problem. If you still use short screws, the problem is likely to recur. Funny enough one of the doors in my house just fell off when someone tried to close it, and sure enough there was electrical wire shoved in the holes too. I used 3" screws which properly gripped the stud versus the flimsy door frame.
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StevenFeb 23 '12 at 15:27

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The hinges of the door are very firm, so I don't see why the door should fall off. For now I am satisfied with the solution I have found, but if any problem occurs, I will report back here, and you may then say "I told you so" :)
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JoeFeb 23 '12 at 15:47

The easiest way is to pay someone to do it. Since it's a bathroom door it should be hollow and light weight and come off hinges easily. Pop the hinges and put the door up on a table. Clamp it down (preferably) and then saw the sucker off about a 1/4 inch or more depending on how low it is looking. Put the door back on hinges and you are done.

Why should a bathroom door be hollow? You'd think you'd want a solid, heavy door to allow for more privacy. I am interested in knowing this because I plan on replacing both of my bathroom doors with solid-core doors.
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oscilatingcretinFeb 3 '12 at 12:27

1

@oscilatingcretin, in general, all interior doors are hollow. The privacy you want in a bathroom is for sight, not sound, so anything that isn't transparent will work.
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MarthaFeb 23 '12 at 17:29

Martha says - "oscilatingcretin, in general, all interior doors are hollow. The privacy you want in a bathroom is for sight, not sound, so anything that isn't transparent will work" Exactly, Martha, because who will be embarrassed to let fly with a nice porcelain bowl fart so long as the people outside the bathroom can't actually see you doing it?
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oscilatingcretinFeb 23 '12 at 17:33

Hollow doors are cheaper which I imagine is the main reason people use them for interior doors. I've seen many houses with solid wood doors throughout, but they were all multi-million dollar mansions!
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StevenMar 29 '12 at 13:20